Hasina accuses Khaleda of ‘subversive acts’

In a vitriolic attack on her arch rival Khaleda Zia, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday wanted to know from the opposition leader why she is carrying out suicidal and subversive activities to destroy the country.“I want a reply from the BNP chairperson why there have been ill-attempts and suicidal activities to destroy Bangladesh. Why she (Khaleda) is causing pain to the countrymen to save a few criminals,” she said.
The Prime Minister said this while making her opening speech at the Awami League Central Working Committee meeting held at her official residence Ganobhaban in the afternoon.
Referring to the recent visits of the opposition leader to the damaged Hindu community temples and consoling the community members, Hasina said, “The opposition leader is a champion in staging drama …the temples of the Hindu community are being vandalised and attacks are being made on them prior to her tours. She first grabs, then attacks and then rubs balm,” Hasina said adding that the people of the country know who launched the attacks on the minority communities at different times.
Voicing her firm resolve not to tolerate any terrorist activity on Bangladesh soil, the premier called upon the opposition to let people live in peace and not to cause further trouble to them.
She alleged that the Jamaat-Shibir men have been causing losses to the country by burning down power plants, public property, vehicles, cutting roads and logging trees. “If they (Jamaat-Shibir) have minimum affection for people, then they couldn’t have committed such things.”
Citing the desperate bid of the Jamaat-Shibir men to save the war criminals through arson, vandalism, burning vehicles, railway tracks, bogies, killing people, attacking policemen, launching attacks on primary school children and bombing, Hasina called upon the countrymen to become aware and put up a strong resistance against those engaged in such destructive activities.
“They (Jamaat-Shibir) are attempting to foil the independence as they’re the enemies of the country and its people,” she said.
Mentioning that war crimes trials have also taken place in many countries of the world, the Prime Minister said her government has taken much more human approach in the war crimes trial through creating the scope for appeal.
“The trial of crimes against humanity would surely take place, but those who are trying to save the war criminals do not want independence. They must refrain from subversive and suicidal activities because the war crimes trial is the demand of the mass people,” she said.
Noting that those who sucked the feet of the defeated forces of 1971 do not want this trial, Hasina said her government is firm to erase this disgraceful chapter from Bangladesh history.
Urging the countrymen not to pay heed to any kind of propaganda by the anti-liberation forces, she said the democratic system should have to be maintained for the country’s continued peace and prosperity.
“Those who were born from the pocket of (army), they might have felt suffocated in the democratic system,” the premier said adding that the country’s people would now have to decide whether they would support those who unleashed militancy, terrorism and extremism in the country or the democratic, pro-liberation forces of the ruling party.
Hasina also urged all to build a resistance in their respective areas against those who are trying to push this country towards militancy and terrorism through their subversive activities.
Mentioning that the present government is firm to uphold the religious sanctity of every religion, she said a committee has already been formed to this end and if anyone makes any deregulatory comments on any religion, action would be taken. “We want the sanctity of every religion remains unharmed…everyone will perform their respective religious rituals and no one would be allowed to hurt religious sentiments.”
After assuming office this time, Hasina said, her government has been fulfilling its election pledges one after another and one can realise that seeing various development activities, especially in the capital where new flyovers and overpasses have been constructed.
Awami League general secretary and LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Textiles and Jute Minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Post and Telecommunications Minister Adv Sahara Khatun, AL presidium members Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Mohammad Nasim, Nuh-ul-Alam Lenin, AL joint general secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif, Adv Abdul Matin Khosru and other central working committee members attended the meeting. UNB